Unlock phone/Jimmy DiResta/Yoga Studio

Recomendo: issue no. 34

Making:
I derive great enjoyment and instruction from watching YouTube videos of Jimmy DiResta making stuff. All kinds of things from knives, to tables, to weird art. He is a master general-purpose craftsman, and with few words, he lets his actions speak. When he gives tips, he is awesome. For a great example, witness his Hot Glue Tips. – KK

Unlock phone:
If you bought a phone that’s locked to a specific mobile carrier, you won’t be able to use it with another carrier until you get it unlocked. AT&T says they will unlock phones you’ve had for two years, but the process is so arduous that it’s never worked for me. They make it difficult on purpose, I suspect. But I’ve unlocked phones using an unlocking service on eBay and paying $6 per phone. I gave them the phone’s 15-digit IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) serial number and a day later they sent me an email to let me know it’s been unlocked. I have no idea how they do it, but it works. — MF

Exercise app:Yoga Studio by Gaiam are like mini-yoga classes in your pocket. You can choose from 65 videos, varying in duration of 15-60 minutes. I’m still in beginner mode and the 15-minute videos go by so fast! The app is available on Android and iPhone for $3.99. — CD

Listenable:
“No one reaches out to you for compassion or empathy so you can teach them how to behave better. They reach out to us because they believe in our capacity to know our darkness well enough to sit in the dark with them.” This quote comes from Brené Brown’s The Power of Vulnerability. Her talk and teachings on authenticity, connection, and courage, based on 12 years of research, inspired me to be a better friend to those in my life — to show up and be present and hold a space of empathy for those in need. Available as a 6-hour audible download or audio CD, listening to her is like listening to your funniest friend, who’s also a doctor. — CD

Great read:
My friend Stewart Brand has been trying to resurrect extinct species. He is not the only one. Ross Andersen has written a beautiful article in The Atlantic, entitled Welcome to Pleistocene Park, about a charismatic Siberian family who are trying to bring back the wooly mammoth by the thousands in order to change the climate. The article is a memorable story about a complex father and son relationship, about renegade Russian scientists, about tree-smashing tanks, about isolation of the tundra and the role of mammoths, about deep geology, and of course about the astounding science of restoring extinct animals. All told with beautiful grace. A 20-minute read that is highly recommended. — KK

Learning:
If you maintain a website or blog, HTML Reference is a site that has examples of different HTML tags. Many of the tags are new to me, but look useful, such as the article tag. — MF

A cool tool can be any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or website that is tried and true. All reviews on this site are written by readers who have actually used the tool and others like it. Items can be either old or new as long as they are wonderful. We post things we like and ignore the rest. Suggestions for tools much better than what is recommended here are always wanted.